By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Jul 06, 2017 at 5:02 PM

There are plenty of reasons to be excited for this month's "Dunkirk."

It's the latest giant summer movie from Christopher Nolan, who's made some of the best and brainiest blockbusters of the century and is now setting his ambitious, epic sights on a WWII war movie. And not just any WWII movie, but recreating the battle and evacuation of Dunkirk, one of the most famous moments in modern war history – most certainly in Nolan's homeland of the United Kingdom. Plus, the director has wrangled an impressive cast to go with its impressive scope, as well, including Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh and Oscar-winner Mark Rylance. Harry Styles is even there.

And now here's one more reason to be excited: When "Dunkirk" opens in theaters on July 21, according to The Playlist, it will feature the largest 70mm film release in 25 years, hitting 125 screens across the nation – including Milwaukee's Marcus Majestic Cinema.

So what is 70mm? It is film stock – used in the past on epic movies like "Lawrence of Arabia," "Ben-Hur" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" – that offers a wider frame, seemingly perfect for a sprawling war epic like "Dunkirk," as well as a higher resolution image than the standard 35mm.

Nolan filmed all of "Dunkirk" on 70mm cameras and IMAX cameras, making that kind of massive movie presentation the optimal way to see the film with the best possible picture and as the director intended. Unfortunately, Milwaukee doesn't have an actual IMAX screen with film projection capabilities – but this is the next-best case, with the presentation matching the way in which it was filmed.

For those still not sure what this means, here's a helpful infographic:

Nolan's far from the only one who's worked to get film, and 70mm in particular, in front of audiences during a time when film has been almost completely replaced by digital in the industry and in movie theaters. In late 2015, Quentin Tarantino filmed his snowy chamber thriller "The Hateful Eight" in 70mm and launched a special roadshow to bring the intended 70mm look across America – including having to repair and ship actual 70mm film projectors to participating theaters, such as the Marcus Majestic.

Tickets for the special 70mm presentation of "Dunkirk" are currently on sale at the Marcus Majestic's website, while the movie will hit theaters on Friday, July 21 – with special advance screenings the night before. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.